impossibility

[im-pos-uh-bil-i-tee, im-pos-]

See more synonyms for impossibility on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural im·pos·si·bil·i·ties for 2.

condition or quality of being impossible.
something impossible.

Origin of impossibility

1350–1400; Middle English impossibilite < Late Latin impossibilitās. See im-², possibility

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for impossibility

Contemporary Examples

The smartest book ever written about the impossibility of direct communication.
Wayne Koestenbaum’s Book Bag: The Best of the ’80s
Wayne Koestenbaum
August 13, 2013
But Huckabee is an impossibility because he and Romney don't like each other.
And Speaking of Unfavorable Views of Romney...
Michael Tomasky
August 6, 2012
But you can write a fantastic novel about the impossibility of writing about the Holocaust.
Father’s Day 2012 Gift Ideas: 13 Best Books for Dad
The Daily Beast
June 14, 2012
The main reasons were the relief of the end of the war and also the impossibility to fathom the disaster.
Claude Lanzmann on 'Shoah', His Memoir, and the Banality of Evil
Clémence Boulouque
June 11, 2012
While Justice Stephen Breyer dismissed this as an impossibility, other justices were not reassured.
Supreme Court Finishes Hearing Health-Care Law Arguments
Ben Jacobs
March 28, 2012

Historical Examples

By day it was dangerous enough; by night it was almost an impossibility.
The Slave Of The Lamp
Henry Seton Merriman
I did not, at least I tried not to expect such an impossibility.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
For what the first sentence seemed to give was next thing to an impossibility.
Pax Vobiscum
Henry Drummond
That impossibility is precisely the almost universal expectation.
Pax Vobiscum
Henry Drummond
To the healthy, walking is a pleasure; to the sick, a burden, if not an impossibility.
The Ministry of Intercession
Andrew Murray

British Dictionary definitions for impossibility

impossibility

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being impossible
something that is impossible

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impossibility

n.

late 14c., "quality of being impossible," from impossible + -ity; perhaps from or modeled on French impossibilité. Meaning "an impossible thing or occurrence" is from c.1500.

impossibility

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}impossibility

Examples from the Web for impossibility

Contemporary Examples

The smartest book ever written about the impossibility of direct communication.

But Huckabee is an impossibility because he and Romney don't like each other.

But you can write a fantastic novel about the impossibility of writing about the Holocaust.

The main reasons were the relief of the end of the war and also the impossibility to fathom the disaster.

While Justice Stephen Breyer dismissed this as an impossibility, other justices were not reassured.

Historical Examples

By day it was dangerous enough; by night it was almost an impossibility.

I did not, at least I tried not to expect such an impossibility.

For what the first sentence seemed to give was next thing to an impossibility.

That impossibility is precisely the almost universal expectation.

To the healthy, walking is a pleasure; to the sick, a burden, if not an impossibility.

impossibility

Word Origin and History for impossibility

n.

Origin of impossibility